Note that since moving to the UK I’ve had to tweak this recipe to stay as nicely firm and formed as the US version. There are now two versions below: be sure to select the one most applicable to your region, and if you live somewhere with different ingredients, be sure to test it accordingly and adjust to your needs.
US Recipe
UK Recipe
Photos of and links to posts using this recipe
US Version
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup regular cocoa
- ½ cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups softened butter (1½ sticks)
- 1¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk (Optional: makes it richer.)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (Optional: not good for intricate shapes.)
- Combine the flour, both cocoas, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the sugar and the butter together.
- Add the egg and vanilla (plus extra yolk, if using) to the creamed mixture; beat until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the dry mix into the creamed mixture. The dough will be very soft and sticky. Mix in chocolate chips, if using.
- Lay out a long strip of plastic wrap on the counter. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the middle of the wrap and flatten. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours, up to two days.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Dust a work surface with cocoa powder (a spoonful in a fine-mesh metal sieve works very well). Break off a chunk of the refrigerated dough, place on the dusted surface, dust the top with more cocoa, and roll it to ¼" thickness (roller guides are very helpful for this). Cut as desired. This dough holds its shape fairly well, including taking relief impressions.
- Place on parchment on baking sheets with about ½" between cookies. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the tops look thoroughly cooked. Do not overbake; the cookies should be soft with slightly crispy undersides. Overbaking makes the chocolate bitter and the texture too hard.
- When re-rolling leftovers, add more chilled dough each time, and be sure to re-dust surfaces with more cocoa.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on baking sheets before moving, especially for delicate designs.
- Once thoroughly cool, they can be eaten plain for those who like a dark taste, or decorated with royal icing for a sweeter taste.
The extra egg yolk is optional but does make for a richer cookie. I sometimes do it if I have leftover yolks after making a different recipe that called for whites, but other times I don't bother.
The entire recipe can be doubled, which is how I usually make it. When I'm lazy, I use three eggs on the doubled version instead of 2 eggs and 2 yolks.
This recipe can be frozen. I usually make double batches of dough no matter how many cookies I need so I always have some in the freezer for a cookie emergency.
UK Version (which is also doubled because I always make at least a double batch and the eggs work out better this way)
It is very difficult to purchase Dutch process cocoa in the UK, and even the brands that claim to be Dutch process are not as dark as the US versions, so just go with regular cocoa. Not drinking chocolate, but unsweetened cocoa.
Vanilla in the UK is almost always sold in a sugar solution, usually with alcohol. As I am a teetotaler, I avoid cooking with alcohol, which helps my baking stay inclusive for all recipients. I use a concentrated vanilla that has no alcohol in it that I buy here: http://www.vanillamart.co.uk/halal-vanilla-extract/ . I say “about 1 tsp†because really I just pour a little bit in.
I always do a larger batch and have found it’s just easier to add three whole eggs in my UK recipe. Most of the other ingredient/amount differences from the US version have to do with the cookies spreading in the UK more than they did in the US. So I’ve lowered the baking powder, gone up to a higher-protein flour (if you use plain, expect a lot more spread), and recommend a non-fan oven. I’ve also added a step to chill before baking.
- 550 g Strong Flour (if substituting for Plain Flour, lower this to 390 g and expect more spread)
- 115 g cocoa (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 340 g softened butter
- 525 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- about 1 tsp Super Concentrated Halal Madagascan Vanilla Extract (or about 2 tsp regular vanilla extract)
- Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the sugar and the butter together.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the creamed mixture; beat until thoroughly combined.
- Gradually add the dry mix into the creamed mixture. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Lay out a long strip of plastic wrap on the counter. Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the middle of the wrap and flatten. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours, up to two days, or freeze.
- Preheat oven to 190 C, preferably not a fan oven (the cookies will spread more, but if all you have is fan, drop the temperature to 180 C).
- Dust a work surface with cocoa powder (a spoonful in a fine-mesh metal sieve works very well). Break off a chunk of the refrigerated dough and put the rest back in the fridge. Knead the chunk just enough to make it pliable and place it on the dusted surface, dust the top with more cocoa, and roll it to ¼" thickness (roller guides are very helpful for this). Cut as desired. This dough holds its shape fairly well, including taking relief impressions.
- Place on parchment on baking sheets with about ½" between cookies. Chill cut cookies right on the pan in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the tops look thoroughly cooked. Do not overbake; the cookies should be soft with slightly crispy undersides. Overbaking makes the chocolate bitter and the texture too hard.
- When re-rolling leftovers, add more chilled dough each time, and be sure to re-dust surfaces with more cocoa.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on baking sheets before moving, especially for delicate designs.
- Once thoroughly cool, they can be eaten plain for those who like a dark taste, or decorated with royal icing for a sweeter taste.
This recipe has been used in the following posts:
 Ladybird Cookies for WI meeting (not posted yet) |
That’s a wonderful recipe for chocolate cookies, many thanks Kimberly!